Authority is how you are designed to make decisions, and it's one of the most powerful game-changers in Human Design.
👉 If you don't know your authority, pause for a second and get your free chart here. Then come back when you know which one is yours.
The wisdom of Human Design says that we are designed to make decisions NOT in the mind, but through our bodies.
That's a HUGE paradigm shift.
👋 Goodbye pros and cons lists.
👋 Goodbye spending hours contemplating what you "should" do.
👋 Goodbye listening to others.
Instead, we listen within.
We listen to what our bodies are telling us.
But a lot of people struggle to master their authority because it's unclear how it feels in the body.
First, how it feels is how it feels for YOU. I will give an overview here but it’s an individual thing that you need to dedicate space, time, and awareness to connect with.
Here’s how I’ve heard clients describe the feelings, by authority:
EMOTIONAL AUTHORITY: TAKE TIME
How it might feel: calm knowing, relief, a sense of the right direction, knowing you have the energy to go for it
How it will NOT feel: an in-the-moment rush of excitement, a huge well of emotion no matter where on the spectrum of “good” or “bad”
Things to note: take your time. Sleep on big decisions and in general give yourself time in any decision-making scenario.
Example: If you’re in a group at dinner, order last if possible. Listen to others’ choices and imagine how you would feel to eat that thing.
If you’re making a big decision, look for things to come into your awareness over time. Do they seem to be pointing you in a direction? How might they be informing you of the best move?
⏳ The time is meant to allow other things to come into your awareness, for you to feel through the highs and lows of your wave(s), for you to come to a place of relative neutral to then determine how it sits with you
💯 You will never miss out on something that’s meant for you. It will come back around. Trust that.
SACRAL AUTHORITY: TRUST YOUR GUT
How it might feel:
“Hell, yes”: a bubbling up from your naval, a warmth above your naval that rises to your throat, a “rush” of feeling in your core, opening, expansiveness
Sounds of a “yes":” ooh! oh! mmm, uh-huh, oh yeah, yeow! purr, trill
👉 You may also notice moving toward the thing/moving into it.
“No”: a pit in your stomach, a lack of feeling in your stomach
Sounds of a “no”: yech, ugh, yuck, enh, unh-uh, no way, blech, meh
👉 You may also notice moving away from the thing/contracting.
How it will NOT feel: like mind chatter. Any time you find yourself debating, you’re not listening to your sacral. It will be right in the moment, in response to something. If you are unsure, put that thing in front of you again and tune in.
Things to note: you always know in the moment. AND, you it may change. It will always tell you what’s right in the moment, but know that it could change tomorrow.
💯 AND, if it’s not a “HELL, YES!” then it’s a “no.”
👉 Tell your loved ones to ask you “yes” or “no”/ “this” or “that” questions!
Meanwhile, this sacral is all confused about what she’s feeling 👇 (It’s a no.)
SPLENIC AUTHORITY: FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCT How it might feel: like a direct hit, a deep knowing, it’s quick, quiet, and in the moment How it will NOT feel: like you can explain it. You just KNOW. Trust that. ❗ It also does not sound like FEARFUL thoughts in your head. ❗ Different ways your intuition might connect with you (also known as the “clairs”:) Clairvoyance: you’ll see it Clairsentience: you’ll feel it in your body (like chills, warmth, or emotions) Clairaudience: you’ll hear it Claircognizance: you’ll know it And less common: clairaliance: you’ll smell it—think “ I smell a rat” and clairgustance: you’ll taste it—think walking into a space and smacking your lips and tongue together as if taking a taste of the room 👉 You might have a strong clair or a combination. Learn how your intuition speaks to you. Things to note: you’ll know in the moment. The more you trust those flashes of insight, the stronger and clearer they will become. 💯 The spleen (the center of this authority) is about safety. It’s instinctual. It will tell you what’s healthy and correct for you in the moment. 🤗 Be patient with yourself if it doesn’t come right away. Most of us have spent years ignoring our intuition so it’s a lot quieter than it used to be. EGO AUTHORITY: FOLLOW YOUR HEART How it might feel: a warmth in your heart, heart flutters, heartache…this authority is all about your heart ❤️💗💕💖, blurting out answers How it will NOT feel: correct decisions will NOT feel like they aren’t truly YOU. You will also not feel dragged down, burdened, weighed down Things to note: a strong sense of your values will help guide you in your decision making. Essentially, ego authorities need to follow their HEART, follow what the feel is right for them, do what they have the DRIVE for 💯 What’s best for you may seem selfish, but know that what’s best for you IS what’s best for you AND will benefit others. It’s not selfish if you’re an Ego authority! 👇
SELF-PROJECTED AUTHORITY: TALK IT OUT
How it might feel: hearing yourself say the thing that is right for you, use your words out loud
How it will NOT feel: someone listening to you who tells you what to do
👉 Projectors are the only type with this authority. You MUST talk it out and LISTEN to how it sounds. Tune in to the frequency of your voice to garner its wisdom.
Things to note: you might ask someone to listen while you talk out a decision and then reflect back to you what they heard. (Important that they not share their opinion, but what they heard you say.)
Tip: record yourself talking about a decision and listen to it. Notice how your voice sounds. What frequencies do you hear? Where are you pausing? Where are you rushed in excitement?
MENTAL PROJECTED AUTHORITY: TALK IT OUT IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
📣 Very similar to the Self-Projected authority with the main difference being environment. WHERE you are when making decisions is important.
How it might feel: in an environment where you feel like you can think clearly, hear yourself say the thing that is right for you. Use your words aloud.
How it will NOT feel: being in the wrong environment—whatever that means for you. Also, someone listening to you who tells you what to do.
👉 Again, Projectors are the only type with this authority. Find or create a space that supports you. Then use your voice. You MUST talk it out and LISTEN to how it sounds. Tune in to the frequency of your voice to garner its wisdom.
Things to note: you might ask someone to listen while you talk out a decision and then reflect back to you what they heard. You may need to have conversations with a variety of people before the way forward is clear.
Tip: consider places like the shower, a walk in nature, the car you’re driving as places to talk out decisions 🛁🌿🚗
👇 Talking to himself AND he’s right 👇
LUNAR AUTHORITY: TAKE TIME TO NOTICE PATTERNS
How it might feel: observing how things change for you over the course of a lunar cycle. How do you feel about it throughout the cycle? What patterns do you notice?
How it will NOT feel: rushed
👉 Reflectors are the only type with this authority.
Things to note: tuning into the 🌚 moon phases 🌚 can be a huge help with this authority. Essentially, you need TIME (like an Emotional Authority, but to the 10th degree). During that time, allow yourself space to reflect, to see how your perspective shifts, to feel things, to sense things. Notice patterns in your sensing and use those to inform your decisions.
Tip: 🌿🌸🏕️ nature is like healing balm for Reflectors. Being alone in nature is even better. When you can, get outside and use that space to ponder, to notice, to reflect, to feel, to consider, to pause.
Also, finding a trusted friend who can listen and reflect back to you can be super helpful. (See the Self-Projected and Mental Projected authorities, as they are similar.)
The key to your authority is to take time to connect with it.
You've likely been using your mind to make decisions for yearrrrrssss and it's going to take some time to decondition that.
Start with small decisions and practice.
Let me know how it goes!